One month later

It's been almost a month since I purchased my Kymco People 150. After some initial hiccups which turned out to be fuel related (for which I am most thankful to the Almighty), the scooter has shown itself to be reliable and trouble free.

As mentioned in a previous blog entry, the issues I had on my road trip three weeks ago were apparently due to fuel starvation. A bit of fuel cleaner and all was resolved.

I've ridden the scoot almost every day and have caught myself trying to find excuses to go riding or extend my route once I was already out. Of course, I was already doing that with my Vino, but I was limited in how far I could ride due to the lower speed. The last month has given me a clearer impression of the scoot, so here goes. Bear in mind that some of this will have been covered in previous blogs, but for the sake of continuity, I'd like to put it all together.

The Kymco People 150 is a very classy looking scooter with euro styling that looks very much like it could have come out of the early days of motorcycle and automobile manufacture, until you get up close and note that the body panels are all plastic. Its slender lines and delicate appearance belie the power of the 152cc engine. It's a beautiful machine both inside and out.

The seat is large enough to comfortably seat my son and I with plenty of room for both of us. It is also comfortable for long rides and the scooter will maintain 55 mph tolerably well. She tops out at around 63 (70 on the speedometer), but the engine is screaming at that point so it's definitely not recommended to ride at that speed for long.

The fairing is rather narrow and does not seem to protect from the wind as well as the Vino's did. Additionally, the floorboard is not very large. My size 11 feet just fit with no room to spare, yet the scooter's height is such that it would be uncomfortable for anyone much shorter than I, and there are very few tall people with dinky feet. There are foot rests for the rear passenger that jacknife outward, but they do not lock in place, which means that if the passenger does not maintain a constant forward pressure on them, they may close.

The rear rack is a decent size, but is more designed to be stylish rather than utilitarian. I was able to install a top box on it, but only after drilling holes in the heavy plastic. It would have been nice if the rack were better designed.

On the other hand, the scooter handles really well. It accelerates from a dead stop like a rocket. I've left several cars in the dust without really intending to do so. Of course, if the driver is agressive enough, they catch up to me eventually, but still.

The handling around curves is very smooth. The scooter feels like it is planted on the road. Even at higher speeds the stability is fantastic, though the wind can be problematic.

Maintenance has its pluses and minuses. Oil changes are easy, but checking the air filter requires a philips head screwdriver with a bent shaft for getting up under the side panel, unless you are able to take the side panels off. Accessing the spark plug is accomplished through a portal at the front of the engine compartment right by where the rider's heels would be. One screw holds it closed, so it's easy to get at. Battery access is also very easy. Accessing the Carb and idle screw is accomplished through a portal under the seat. Just loosen a large thumbscrew and pop off the cover. At this point, I'll leave the more difficult maintenance to the dealer, but once I find a service manual, that will change.

Since it's in the 150cc class, it's not intended as a highway commuter. What it is intended for is 35 to 50 mph riding, which it does very well. It's exactly what I wanted, with enough room left over at the top end to accomplish the occasional brief foray onto the highway.

After nearly one month and over 1200 miles, the Kymco People 150 lives up to its stellar reputation.